Afghanistan: Army Radios

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which units of the British Army currently serving in Afghanistan are equipped with the Bowman radio system; which units do not have that radio system; and whether there are any units in Afghanistan still using the Clansman radio system.

Lord Drayson: All British Army units currently operating in Afghanistan do so with the Clansman radio system and elements of Bowman. Secure communications are also provided by a TacSat military system, which is compatible with US and other NATO forces operating in southern Afghanistan.

Anti-social Behaviour: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many anti-social behaviour orders have been issued in Northern Ireland since their introduction; for what; when; and where.

Lord Rooker: The relevant authorities have notified the Northern Ireland Office of 13 anti-social behaviour orders in Northern Ireland.
	The orders were made to protect people from behaviour that caused or was likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress. The relevant authorities have reported that eight of these orders were made in 2005 and five in 2006.
	
		
			 Area Number of Orders 
			 Ballymena Borough Council 2 
			 Dungannon District Council 1 
			 Larne District Council 3 
			 Magherafelt District Council 1 
			 Newry and Mourne City Council 1 
			 Belfast City Council 1 interim 
			 Coleraine Borough Council 2 interim 
			 Derry City Council 2 interim

Armed Forces: Helicopters

Lord Garden: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are the current average and maximum periods of detached duty for operationally qualified Chinook, Merlin, Puma and Sea King aircrew over a 12-month period; and how these periods compare with desired harmony levels.

Lord Drayson: The average and maximum periods which operationally qualified support helicopter aircrew of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force spent on detached duty away from their parent air stations in the year ending 31 March 2006 are shown in the following table.
	
		Days spent on detached duty during the period 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006
		
			 Aircraft type Average Maximum 
			 RAF Puma 68 204 
			 RAF Merlin 140 203 
			 RAF Chinook 125 179 
			 RN Sea King 148 225 
			 RAF Sea King 41 88 
		
	
	Defence strategic guidance contains harmony planning assumptions of which there are two components: separated service assumptions derived from analysis of historical norms and judgments by each service principal personnel officer of the harmony needs of their personnel and force structure planning assumptions.
	The separated service assumption for the Royal Navy is that an individual should spend no more than 660 days away from home over a rolling three-year period while force structure planning assumptions state that fleet units should spend no more than 60 per cent of time deployed in a three-year cycle, although for support helicopters RAF force planning assumptions apply.
	The Royal Air Force separated service assumption is that an individual should spend no more than 140 days away from home in a rolling 12-month period while force structure planning assumptions state that RAF units should operate on a cycle of four months on operations followed by an interval of 16 months.
	These figures exclude RAF and RN search and rescue (SAR) helicopters with the exception of 78 Squadron in the Falklands where two crews are provided at any one time to provide 24 hour, 365 days a year, deployable SAR cover for Commander British Forces South Atlantic Islands.

Aviation: ADS-B

Lord Rotherwick: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they are considering the automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) system for aviation.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is currently seeking Cabinet Office approval to consult on a "Proposal to amend the Air Navigation Order 2005 for the purpose of improving the technical interoperability of all aircraft in UK Airspace". The consultation will examine various systems, including ADS-B.

Badgers

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their justification for continuing the protected status of badgers in England and Wales in view of the large increase in the number of badgers and the absence of natural predators.

Lord Rooker: The badger benefits from legal protection introduced to outlaw cruelty towards animals; for example, the Protection of Animals Act 1911, which among other things made the baiting of animals illegal, and the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996, which made certain specified acts of cruelty illegal.
	In addition, there are legal restrictions on the range of methods that can be used to kill or take badgers. This protection was introduced to outlaw inhumane and/or indiscriminate methods of control. The key legislation in this respect is the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Some of these restrictions apply to all animals, while others apply only to animals, such as the badger, listed in Schedule 6 to the Act.
	There have also been specific laws to protect badgers. These were introduced as a welfare measure to combat illegal badger baiting and also as a conservation measure in response to declines in badger numbers in the 1970s and 1980s. Badgers and their setts are fully protected under the provisions of the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, which consolidated previous statutes. However, the 1992 Act does provide for the department to issue licences to interfere with badgers or their setts to prevent, among other things, serious damage to land, crops or property.
	Although this protection may be unique for a non-endangered animal, it reflects the concern the Government have about the gratuitous acts of cruelty that badgers have been subjected to in the past.

Conventions: Joint Committee

Lord Barnett: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	Whether all papers submitted to the Joint Committee on Conventions will be published immediately on receipt.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: This depends on decisions which the Joint Committee has yet to make. I understand the matter will be considered at its next meeting, and I will write to Lord Barnett when I know the outcome.

Disability: Blue Badges

Lord Dubs: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What action they are taking to ensure that the parking concessions for disabled people with blue badges are the same in the London Boroughs of Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Camden and the City of London as in other parts of the capital.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The Blue Badge Scheme of parking concessions for disabled people has never applied to the Cities of London and Westminster, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and part of the London Borough of Camden due to concerns about the particularly severe problems with traffic flow and pressure on parking space in these parts of London. This exemption, however, came under scrutiny during the most recent review of the scheme and the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC, the department's statutory advisers on the transport needs of disabled people) recommended that it be removed. Consequently, research is being undertaken to look at the grounds for the exemption to see if it can still be justified. The research is due to be completed later this year.

Health: Research

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What research has been supported following the Department of Health's call for research into long-term neurological conditions; and what is happening to projects approved for funding, but not yet supported.

Lord Warner: The recommendation of the long-term neurological conditions research initiative's external advisory group was that six research projects should be supported at a total cost of £1.5 million. The Department of Health has accepted the recommendation and will be funding the following projects:
	Needs and experiences of services by individuals with progressive neurological condition and their carers: a benchmarking study, Professor Ray Fitzpatrick, University of Oxford, Cost: £250,761
	Integrated services for people with long term neurological conditions: evaluation of the impact of the National Service Framework, Professor Gillian Parker, University of York, Cost: £334,837
	Support for carers, particularly those with multiple caring roles: an investigation of support needs and cost of provision, Professor Lynne Turner-Stokes, Kings College, London, Cost: £287,827
	Long-term involvement in fitness enablement study Dr Helen Dawes, Oxford Brookes University Cost: £243,889
	Defining the palliative care needs of people with late stage Parkinson Disease, Multiple System Atrophy and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, Professor P Nigel Leigh, Kings College, London, Cost: £228,676
	Transition to adulthood: the experiences and needs of young men with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and their families, Professor John Carpenter, Health and Social Care Research Centre, Bristol, Cost: £155,378

NHS: Dentistry

Lord Rana: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps are being taken to ensure people have reasonable access to National Health Service dental services in Northern Ireland.

Lord Rooker: I am satisfied with the level of dental provision in Northern Ireland both in terms of availability and accessibility. The Health Service provides a full range of dental services through general dental practitioners, the community dental service and the hospital dental service.
	There is approximately one general dental practitioner for every 2,400 people in Northern Ireland. This compares to one practitioner for every 2,773 people in England, Scotland and Wales.
	A new Primary Dental Care Strategy has been developed which sets the oral health agenda for the next 10 years. It identifies the oral health needs of the Northern Ireland population, determines desired outcomes and identifies areas where oral health can link into the wider health agenda.
	The strategy has been developed around the local commissioning of services, where commissioners would be responsible for the delivery of primary care dental services to their population in keeping with local needs. One of the main recommendations is that access to appropriate dental care should be available to everyone.
	Consultation on the draft strategy has ended and it is expected to be published in the summer.

NHS: Dentists

Lord Rana: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many dentists resigned from the National Health Service in Northern Ireland in (a) 2005; and (b) the first three months of 2006.

Lord Rooker: The number of dentists who have resigned from providing health service dentistry is not exclusively available. However, the count of dentists who had been providing health service dentistry within Northern Ireland but who have ceased doing so in (a) 2005 and (b) the first three months of 2006 is provided below. The reasons for ceasing to provide health service dentistry will include retirement, death, moving out of Northern Ireland or moving to private practice.
	(a) During the 2005 calendar year there were 41 dentists who were removed from the Northern Ireland dental list and who did not return to that list by January 2006.
	(b) During the first three months of 2006 there were nine dentists who were removed from the Northern Ireland dental list and who did not return to that list April 2006.

NHS: Non-EU Doctors

Lord Rana: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many non-European Union doctors are currently training in (a) the United Kingdom as a whole; and (b) Northern Ireland; and what steps are being taken to ensure that they are able to complete their training, in view of new Department of Health immigration rules for non-European Union doctors.

Lord Warner: The following table shows the number of doctors working in the National Health Service in England, who qualified in a non-European Union country. Information relating to Scotland and Wales is the responsibility of the devolved administrations.
	In Northern Ireland, there are currently 370 non-European Union doctors in training.
	
		General and Personal Medical Services and Hospital, Community Health Services (HCHS) All Doctors in training by specified Country of Primary Qualification group1,2,3
		
			  Numbers(headcount) 
			 England as at30 September 2005 All Countries ofQualification of which: Non-EU Countries 
			 All Doctors2,3 119,017  33,033 
			  of which:   
			  All Doctors in Training 45,965 17,078 
			 All HCHS MedicalStaff2,3  83,073 27,371 
			  of which:   
			  Registrar Group 17,657 6,477 
			  Senior House Officer 21,109 9,157 
			  House Officer & Foundation Programme Year 1 4,635 562 
			 All GPs1  35,944 5,662 
			  of which:   
			  GP Registrars 2,564 882 
		
	
	1 All Practitioners includes Contracted GPs, GMS Others, PMS Others, GP Registrars and GP Retainers
	2 Excludes medical Hospital Practitioners and medical Clinical Assistants, most of whom are GPs working part time in hospitals
	3 Excludes all dental staff. Information about country of qualification is derived from the General Medical Council. For staff in dental specialties, with a General Dental Council registration, the country of qualification is therefore unknown.
	Source:The Information Centre for health and social care Medical and Dental Workforce Census The Information Centre for health and social care General & Personal Medical Services Statistics.
	The Department of Health has put in place transitional arrangements to ensure that doctors currently in post are allowed to complete their programme.
	Doctors from outside the European Economic Area who have graduated in the United Kingdom will have up to three years to complete their foundation training. Once the foundation course has been completed, doctors will need to meet the normal requirements of the immigration rules.

North/South Implementation Bodies

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In percentage terms, what is the total number of employees in the implementation bodies in Northern Ireland broken down by religious background.

Lord Rooker: As of May 2006 the community background of the Northern Ireland-based staff that work in the north/south implementation bodies is set out below in percentage terms.
	
		
			  
			 Protestant 33% 
			 Roman Catholic 63% 
			 Non-Determined 4%

Northern Ireland National Stadium

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the cost to date of preparing and promoting the site at the Maze as a national stadium for Northern Ireland.

Lord Rooker: The Government are seeking to explore the potential to develop the entire site and commissioned a masterplan on this basis. Any expenditure incurred to date at the Maze/Long Kesh relates to the regeneration of the whole site rather than to any specific project.

Northern Ireland: Festivals

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 10 May (WA 139) concerning the Smithsonian Institution's Folklife Festival in 2007, what Ulster-Scots activities have been offered for inclusion in the festival by the Northern Ireland Department for Culture, Arts and Leisure.

Lord Rooker: I refer to my previous Answer 10 May (WA 139).
	The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure passed on the list of recommendations it received from the Ulster-Scots Agency to the Smithsonian's curator.

Parliamentary Ombudsman

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 29 March (WA 126), on how many occasions since 1997, and in respect of which specific recommendations, the Learning and Skills Council has refused or omitted to give effect to the recommendations of the Parliamentary Ombudsman.

Lord Adonis: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). Mark Haysom, the LSC chief executive, will write to the noble Lord with this information and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.

Political Parties: Funding

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the reason for the delay in answering the Question for Written Answer by the Lord Lester of Herne Hill tabled on 28 March (HL4991) about confidentiality clauses in loan agreements to political parties.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The noble Lord's Question tabled on 28 March (HL4991) was answered on 17 May 2006. The reason for the delay in answering was because the issue of confidentiality clauses in loan agreements to political parties was one which was still under consideration by the Government, in the context of new provisions relating to the regulation of such loans which were subsequently tabled to the Electoral Administration Bill on 26 April.

Prisons: Maze

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have any plans to demolish in total the former prison site at the Maze.

Lord Rooker: A number of buildings have already been demolished and others on the site have been listed or have received statutory protection. No decisions have been taken by Government to demolish any further buildings.

Public Spending: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the total spending of each Northern Ireland department during the past financial year; and how this compares with the funding allocated to each department.

Lord Rooker: Details of expenditure for 2005–06 relating to Northern Ireland departments is not yet available. Information on performance against budget will be available in June of this year once provisional outturn data have been received and analysed.
	A copy of the information will be placed in the Library of the House when available.

Revenue and Customs: External Legal Advice

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McKenzie of Luton on 13 March (WA 202–3), what assessment they have made for the latest year for which information is available on the cost of external legal advice received by HM Revenue and Customs, allocated between advice received on (a) taxation, and (b) other matters.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: I answered an identical Question from the noble Lord on 29 March, Official Report, col. WA 149.

Schools: Religion

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What statutory rights are available to particular faith groups to challenge the content of a locally agreed religious syllabus.

Lord Adonis: RE syllabuses for all maintained schools except religious-based voluntary-aided schools are set by the local authority through the agreed syllabus conference (ASC), subject to advice from the standing advisory councils for religious education (SACRE). The SACRE and the ASC comprise teachers, the local authority and representatives from religions and denominations which broadly reflect the make-up of the local area.
	The local authority must convene an agreed syllabus conference for the purpose of reviewing the syllabus. If the majority of groups on a SACRE ask the local authority in writing to reconsider its agreed syllabus, it must convene a conference for that purpose.
	If a concern or complaint about a locally agreed syllabus cannot be resolved informally, the formal complaints procedure of the local authority or particular school should be followed. Any complainant who remains dissatisfied after the complaint has been fully considered under those arrangements can make a complaint to the Secretary of State.

Taxation: Avoidance and Evasion

Lord Patten: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will clarify their use of the terms "tax avoidance" and "tax evasion".

Lord McKenzie of Luton: These terms lack any single or universally applied legal definition and their meaning will depend upon the context in which they are used.
	The term "tax evasion" refers to reduction of tax liability by illegal means.
	The term "tax avoidance" is usually used to refer to an inappropriate reduction in tax liability and was described by Lord Nolan in the following terms:
	"The hallmark of tax avoidance is that the taxpayer reduces his liability to tax without incurring the economic consequences that Parliament intended to be suffered by any taxpayer qualifying for such reduction in his tax liability".

Taxation: Income Tax

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McKenzie on 14 March (WA 221), what assessment they have made of the number of people who are subject to income tax and have (a) one employment; and (b) more than one employment during the year, for the latest year for which figures are available.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: Information on the number of taxpayers by number of employments is not readily available except at a disproportionate cost. However, the table below provides the number of employees (by number of jobs) whose total gross weekly earnings exceeded their weekly personal allowance in autumn 2005.
	
		Autumn (September-November) 2005
		
			 Employees whose total weekly earnings is abovetheir weekly personal allowance Number (thousands) 
			 Employees with one job 21,830 
			 Employees with more than one job 580 
		
	
	Income tax liabilities are based on total annual income. Therefore these figures should be used as a guide only since all employees with gross weekly earnings above their weekly personal allowance at a given point in time are not necessarily taxpayers for the year as a whole, and similarly, all employees with gross weekly earnings below their weekly personal allowance at a given point in time are not necessarily non-taxpayers for the year as a whole.
	The estimates have been provided by the Office for National Statistics and are based on the quarterly Labour Force Survey (LFS). The figures represent a snapshot, are seasonal unadjusted and are based on gross weekly earnings as reported in the survey.

Taxation: National Insurance

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	For the latest year for which figures are available, what assessment they have made of the increase required to the contribution rate of class 4 national insurance contributions so as to make the contribution rate for the self employed (including class 2 and class 4) the same as class 1 national insurance contributions after taking into account the reduced entitlement to benefits of the self employed; and
	For the latest year for which figures are available, what would be the increase required to the contribution rate of class 4 national insurance contributions and the corresponding reduction to class 1 national insurance contributions so as to make the contribution rate for the self employed (including class 2 and class 4) the same as the employee after taking into account the reduced entitlement to benefits of the self employed and leave the overall revenue raised constant.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: Estimates of the cost of reduced national insurance contributions for the self employed—not attributable to their reduced benefit eligibility—were published in April and were £1.7 billion for 2004-05 and £1.9 billion for 2005–06. These figures are shown in the table at the following link at www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/taxexpenditures/1–5–apr06.xls.
	These estimates are particularly uncertain due to their complex nature and so the following further estimates that are underpinned by them should be treated with caution.
	In order to make self employed national insurance contributions (class 2 and class 4 contributions) the same as class 1 national insurance contributions paid by employees and employers after reflecting reduced benefit eligibility, taking the above figure and simply varying existing NIC rates, the main class 4 rate would need to be increased by 6.2 per cent.
	In order to maintain revenue neutrality while matching contribution rates of the self employed to those paid in respect of employees after reflecting reduced benefit eligibility (again taking the above figure and simply varying existing NIC rates) the main employee's (primary) class 1 contribution rate would need to lowered by 0.3 per cent and the main class 4 contribution rate raised by 3.1 per cent.
	These figures are for UK contributions in respect of 2005-06 and are consistent with Budget 2006 projections.
	These estimates exclude any behavioural response to the changes, which could be significant given the magnitude of the change.

Taxation: Personal Allowance

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	For the latest year for which figures are available, what assessment they have made of the cost of (a) raising the personal allowance to £7,500; (b) raising the personal allowance to £7,500 and eliminating the 10 per cent rate of income tax; and (c) raising the personal allowance to £7,500, eliminating the 10 per cent rate of income tax and restricting the personal allowance to providing relief at a maximum of 22 per cent; and
	For the latest year for which figures are available, what assessment they have made of the cost of (a) raising the personal allowance to £10,000; (b) raising the personal allowance to £10,000 and eliminating the 10 per cent rate of income tax; and (c) raising the personal allowance to £10,000, eliminating the 10 per cent rate of income tax and restricting the personal allowance to providing relief at a maximum of 22 per cent.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The information for 2006–07 is provided in the table.
	
		
			 Additional cost from:  
			 Increasing all personal allowances to £7,500. *14.1 billion 
			 Increasing all personal allowances to £7,500 and abolishing the 10 per cent starting rate1 **£7.7 billion 
			 Increasing all personal allowances to £7,500, abolishing the 10 per cent starting rate1 and restricting the personal allowance to providing relief at a maximum of 22 per cent **£6.5 billion 
			 Increasing all personal allowances to £10,000. **£28.0 billion 
			 Increasing all personal allowances to £10,000 and abolishing the 10 per cent starting rate1 **£22.5 billion 
			 Increasing all personal allowances to £10,000, abolishing the 10 per cent per cent starting rate1 and restricting the personal allowance to providing relief at a maximum of 22 per cent **£20.4 billion 
		
	
	1 Only the starting rate band on earnings and savings is absorbed in the basic rate band, tax rates on dividends remain unchanged.
	The estimates are based on the 2003–04 Survey of Personal Incomes projected forward to 2006–07 in line with Budget 2006 assumptions.
	The figure excludes any estimate of behavioural response to the tax changes which could be significant given the scale of the changes.

Taxation: Personal Allowance

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McKenzie of Luton on 15 March (WA 229–30), what assessment they have made of unifying the age-related personal allowances at the level of those aged (a) 65 to 74, and (b) 75 and over, for the latest year for which figures are available; and
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McKenzie of Luton on 15 March (WA 229–30), what assessment they have made of unifying the age-related married couples allowances at the level of those aged (a) 65 to 74, and (b) 75 and over), for the latest year for which figures are available.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The information is in the table.
	
		
			 Policy option Yield/Cost (£million) (+ve is an Exchequer yield) 
			 Harmonise age-related personal allowances to the level of the allowance for those aged 75 and over **55 
			 Harmonise age-related personal allowances to the level of the allowance for those aged 65 to 74 +35 
			 Harmonise married couple's allowances to the level of the allowance for those aged 75 and over  
			 Harmonise married couple's allowances to the level of the allowance for those aged less than 75 +3 
		
	
	Note: Married couples where the eldest partner was born before 6 April 1935 are eligible for the married couple's allowance and since 5 December 2005, this has also applied to Civil Partnerships. Tax relief for this allowance is restricted to 10 per cent.
	The information in the table is based upon the 2003–04 Survey of Personal Incomes projected forward to 2006–07 in line with March 2006 Budget assumptions.

Transport: Concessionary Bus Fares

Lord Lea of Crondall: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many local authorities in England operate concessionary bus fare schemes which allow local residents to cross district council boundaries on a single journey to a convenient local town; how many do not operate such a scheme; and whether they will take steps to ensure a consistent national approach to this issue.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The Department for Transport does not have full details of all of the local bus concessionary fare schemes in operation from 1 April 2006. There is a great deal of variation in what local authorities provide beyond the statutory minimum. They may offer cross-boundary concessionary bus travel to older people and disabled people, or some other form of enhancement to the statutory free off-peak local bus travel scheme, at their discretion. To determine the range of schemes provided, the department carries out occasional surveys of local authority concessionary travel provision. The most recent survey reported in 2003. The department will also carry out a new, comprehensive survey of local authority schemes later this year. The results are due to be published in the autumn.

Water Supply

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they will next raise British and European-wide drought problems at a meeting of the European Union Council of Environment Ministers; and what issues, such as water consumption, restriction of usage and reservoir enhancement, they will include in such discussions.

Lord Rooker: At present there are no issues related to drought on the provisional agenda for the next Environment Council on 27 June. UK Ministers have no proposals to raise drought as an issue for discussion at the current time.